On average, it takes at least two months for new habits to become automatic behaviors. This brings us to the punchline of this article… The counterintuitive insight from all of this research is that the best way to change your entire life is by not changing your entire life. Instead, it is best to focus on one specific habit, work on it until you master it, and make it an automatic part of your daily life. Then, repeat the process for the next habit. The way to master more things in the long run is to simply focus on one thing right now. One way to think about work life balance issues is with a concept known as The Four Burners Theory. Here's how it was first explained to me: Imagine that your life is represented by a stove with four burners on it. Each burner symbolizes one major quadrant of your life. The first burner represents your family. The second burner is your friends. The third burner is your health. The fourth burner is your work. The Four Burners Theory says that "in order to be successful you have to cut off one of your burners. And in order to be really successful you have to cut off two." Three Views of the Four Burners My initial reaction to The Four Burners Theory was to search for a way to bypass it. "Can I succeed and keep all four burners running?" I wondered. Perhaps I could combine two burners. "What if I lumped family and friends into one category?" Maybe I could combine health and work. "I hear sitting all day is unhealthy. What if I got a standing desk?" Now, I know what you are thinking. Believing that you will be healthy because you bought a standing desk is like believing you are a rebel because you ignored the fasten seatbelt sign on an airplane, but whatever. Soon I realized I was inventing these workarounds because I didn't want to face the real issue: life is filled with tradeoffs. If you want to excel in your work and in your marriage, then your friends and your health may have to suffer. If you want to be healthy and succeed as a parent, then you might be forced to dial back your career ambitions.Before long, news came to the palace that there was a ferocious tiger living in the jungle next to the king's highway. He ambushed travellers, and then killed and ate them. Many began to avoid the king's highway out of fear of the man eater. The king summoned Fear Maker and asked, "Can you capture this rampaging tiger, young man?" "Your majesty," he answered, "I am known as your best archer. Why wouldn't I be able to capture a tiger?" Hearing this, the king gave him an extra sum of money and sent him out to catch the tiger. Fear Maker went home and told all this to his partner. "All right," said Little Archer, "be on your way!" "Aren't you coming too?" asked the surprised Fear Maker. "No, I won't go," he replied, "but I will give you a perfect plan. You must do exactly as I say." "I will, my little friend. Please tell me," said the big front man. The clever little dwarf said to his friend, "Go to the district of the tiger, but don't rush straight to his home by yourself. Instead, gather together a thousand local villagers and give them all bows and arrows. Take them directly to the tiger's home. But then you must let them go on ahead while you hide in the underbrush. 'The local villagers will be very afraid of the tiger. When they see him they will surround him and beat him. Being so terrified, they won't stop beating him until he's dead! "Meanwhile you must cut a piece of vine with your teeth. Then come out of hiding and approach the dead tiger, holding the vine in your hand. When you see the tiger's body, shout at the people, 'Hey! Who has killed the tiger? I was going to capture him with this vine and lead him like a bull to the king. That's why I've been searching in the jungle. Now tell me who has killed the tiger before I could get here with my vine.' "The villagers will be easily frightened by this. They will say, 'Lord Fear Maker,